Summary
A thrilling new novel exploring the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter who has been adopted by an American couple.
Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. There is ritual and routine, and it has been ever thus for generations. Then one day a jeep appears at the village gate - the first automobile any of them have seen - and a stranger arrives. In this remote Yunnan village, the stranger finds the rare tea he has been seeking and a reticent Akha people.
Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, translates for the stranger and is among the first to reject the rules that have shaped her existence. When she has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition she wraps her daughter in a blanket, with a tea cake hidden in her swaddling, and abandons her in the nearest city. After mother and daughter have gone their separate ways, Li-yan slowly emerges from the security and insularity of her village to encounter modern life while Haley grows up a privileged and well-loved California girl. Despite Haley's happy home life, she wonders about her origins, and Li-yan longs for her lost daughter. They both search for and find answers in the tea that has shaped their family's destiny for generations.
In her biggest seller, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, See introduced the Yao people to her readers. Here she shares the customs of another Chinese ethnic minority, the Akha, whose world will soon change. A powerful story about a family separated by circumstances, culture, and distance, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane paints an unforgettable portrait of a little known region and its people and celebrates the bond that connects mothers and daughters.
What members say
Average customer ratings
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Frauke
- 16-12-18
Very interesting and enticing story
Both the story and the narrator's were very good! The book follows the physical and emotional journey of a girl born in a remote mountain village in China, her life in the village with ancient traditions and beliefs and, later on, her encounters with the rest of China and the western world. Meanwhile, the reader periodically follows the story of the illegitimate child the main character had to give away at a young age. The novel is emotional, thought provoking, and hard to out down.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- B. A. Weekes
- 08-11-19
Stunning, Lisa See at her best
Heartbroken it's finished...can't wait for the next one. Lisa See is brilliant at evoking the mood and weaving the culture.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 30-04-19
Fav
My fav book of the year so far.
Intricate and beautifully written and I loved the premise.
Lovely reading style too.
So hard to picture it began in 1988 rather than early 1900’s.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jenny
- 27-03-20
When is the sequel?
I didn't take to this book at first , not sure why. I persevered and it soon became a book I had to listen to at every opportunity.
I both love and dislike the ending as I want more of the story.
This is an interesting, heartfelt, frustrating annoying but enjoyable book. It has left me wanting to research things she wrote about. I'm glad I finished it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Mintychristine
- 29-10-19
Loved Snow Flower and secret fan
It's always slightly disappointing when a book doesn't quite hit the same spot It did shock me some of the cultural ideals but that said it was an enjoyable listen Audio was quite good
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- kim fulton
- 13-04-19
lovely read
loved it. Had me hooked from the begining. not only is the story well told but I have learned so much about the importance of Chinese tea
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-12-18
excelent
it was good but i wish the ending was a bit longer.
i bit more after they found eachother...
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- Rachel Clark
- 30-08-18
Absolutely loved every moment of it
Absolutely loved every moment of it. Fantastic read. Would definitely recommend. Beautiful story with many sweet and tragic twists.
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- Adanaya
- 26-08-18
I'd rather have a cup of tea
missed a lot of it from sheer boredom, no idea how it ended, wouldn't listen to another. loved snow flower and the secret fan but this was just dull dull dull unless you're some kind of tea freak
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Angela Stott
- 05-08-18
Great Story and narration ! <br />
I love Lisa See as an author and the Teagirl did not disappoint. Well-suited narrators.